UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN River Falls

Faculty Senate

Faculty Senate

The Faculty Senate is the legislative arm of the faculty. As such, the faculty delegates to the senate its powers and responsibilities as affecting the academic policies and programs, faculty affairs, and the general welfare of the university in accordance with the provisions of Article III.

The Faculty Senate has a dedicated email for agenda items, questions, and other business pertaining to Faculty Senate.  Please send your information or questions to facultysenate@uwrf.edu

 

Respresentation

Term Expires 2024

Term Expires 2025

Term expires 2026

CAFES

 

  Amber Remble
  Joseph Shakal

Shaheer Burney

CAS

  Grace Coggio  
  Karl Peterson

  Alexandru Tupan 
  Magara Maeda

Doug Margolis   Jennifer Willis-Rivera

CEPS

  Tamara Kincaid 
  Dean Vesperman

  
 

Christy Pettis

CBE

  Logan Kelly

 

 

4th Division

   Alicia Reinke-Tuthill
  

   Ryan Bench
   Cory Clark

Kellen Wells-Mangold  Jake Brunnquell

At Large

Brett Kallusky (sr.)
   Lori Nixon (jr.)

  Mialisa Moline (sr.)        Melaku Abegaz (jr.)

Michelle Parkinson (Sr)  Patrick Woolcock (Jr)

Chancellor’s
Designee

David Travis (Provost)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 

Office

Officer

Chair

Alexandru Tupan

Vice Chair

Logan Kelly

Elections Chair

Yoana Newman

Secretary

Doug Margolis

Faculty Senate Liaison

Kellen Wells-Mangold

 

  • Receive and consider suggestions, proposals, and recommendations brought before the senate by the faculty, student body, and the administrative staff.
     
  • Prepare resolutions, proposals, recommendations, and specific legislation for faculty action.
     
  • Participate with the chancellor in the establishment and termination of the functions and memberships of all standing committees. There shall be provision for the establishment of faculty committees within the by-laws of the constitution. Specific provisions governing the powers, responsibilities, and procedures of faculty committees and the procedure of their appointment are to be found in the by-laws of the constitution.
     
  • Serve as coordinating and expediting agency for the work of standing committees and assign responsibility along with the chancellor for the execution of studies and activities of these committees. All recommendations for policy changes in the orientation and direction of all committees must be submitted for approval to both the Faculty Senate and the chancellor.
     
  • Study and recommend policies designed to improve faculty welfare.
     
  • Establish general interpretations of academic policy and regulations.
     
  • Conduct nominations and elections of members of the senate, as defined in Article VI Section C.
     
  • Inform the general faculty, the administration, and the student body of all senate actions affecting the areas of their respective concerns.
     
  • Recommend to the chancellor the university calendar, subject to the regulations of the Board of Regents.
     
  • Provide for and regulate such funds as may be raised and expended by the general faculty.
     
  • Study and make recommendations concerning any other subjects relative to the general welfare of the university.

Faculty Senate Meeting Agenda

Date: Wednesday, February 21st, 2024, 3:30-5:00 PM.

Location: Willow River Room, UC 334. Physical attendance is strongly encouraged. Via Zoom, please use the link below.

http://tiny.cc/faculty-senate-meeting

  1. Call to order.
  2. Seating of substitutes.  
  3. UWRF land acknowledgment.

The University of Wisconsin-River Falls sits on the shared ancestral lands of the Anishinaabe and the Dakota Nations and Tribal Communities. Acknowledging our university’s historical contributions to the disenfranchisement of indigenous communities, we declare a standing commitment toward campus-wide education, increased awareness of current indigenous issues, and the development of sustainable partnerships with indigenous nations of the area.

  1. Chair report
    1. From the UW shared governance:
        1. System-wide discussion about the inclusion of an AI statement in syllabi. The matter was also brought to the FS’ attention by our provost. On February 27, the Executive Committee will analyze this issue and probably charge the Academic Standards Committee to further investigate.
        2. There is a legislative initiative to change the starting date for the semester. The UWL Faculty Senate is asking for action against the legislative effort, per the resolution linked here. This may impact our discussion around the Fall Break in the upcoming years.
    2. From the UWRF SGA: The SGA approved a motion requesting the creation of a “Freedom of Speech Class”. The resolution is linked here.

 

  1. Officer reports.  Referendum.
  2. Approval of old minutes.
    1. Minutes of 02-07-2024 (AY 2023-2024).
  3. Old business.
    1. From the FS Compensation Committee, motion to form an ad-hoc committee to examine parental leave benefits at UWRF.
      1. Charges.
        1. Examination of consistency of offerings across departments.
        2. Examination of barriers to use of the benefits.
      2. Membership.

One representative from WGSS, 1 or 2 members from Faculty Compensation, 1 or 2 members from the Faculty Welfare Committee, an HR representative, a faculty member or academic staff from the early childhood education major, an academic staff rep, and a parent student. Ideally, the faculty members from these groups will also represent the 3 different colleges.

      1. We recommend Erick Withers be asked to join the ad hoc committee given his research and survey development on parental leave benefits and the barriers to use.
      2. We recommend Michelle DeBoer as a representative from Faculty Compensation. She is a faculty member of the CAFES.
      3. We recommend Travis Tubre as a representative from Faculty Compensation. He is a faculty member of the CAS.
      4. We recommend Molly Gerrish or an alternative academic staff representative from early childhood.

 

  1. New business.

 

  1. The Athletic Director, Crystal Lanning, will speak to the Senate.

 

  1. Motion to appoint Brooke Krejci to chair the Athletic Committee (Spring 2024).
  2. Motion to recommend to Faculty Senate that Greg Kerkvliet be approved to serve as OPID Faculty Representative, as part of FASDB. Greg Kerkvliet is an IAS in the English Department with a 100% teaching load.
  3. Motion to review and approve the following committee chair appointments for the academic year 2024-2025. Each chair will get a release of one course per semester.
  1. Ozcan Kilic (Academic Programs & Policy Committee)
  2. Charlie Corcoran (University Curriculum Committee).

 

  1. From the APP, motion to approve the CIDS minor program change (CAS). Documents are available here.

 

  1. From the FS Advising Committee, motion to approve the formation of an ad hoc Advising Working Group.

1. Membership: Faculty Senate Advising Committee Members, Courtney Brommer, Wes Chapin, Laura King, Tyler Koepke, Shamani Shikwambi, Karen Smolarek, and Jessica Wekkin. Co-Chairs Paul Shirilla and Laura King.

2. Charges at to:

        1. Review existing advising arrangements on campus and Faculty and Staff Handbook language related to advising and the recently approved differential tuition approved for advising.
        2. Make recommendations to the Faculty Senate and Chancellor regarding an advising model for UWRF, including appropriate training and professional development for and assessment of advisors, and support for students.

3. The Advising Working Group will be sunset on December 15, 2024, unless extended by action of the Faculty Senate.

 

  1. Adjournment.

 

Notices.

  • The schedule for Spring 2023-2024 is below.      

All meetings are held in the University Center, Willow River Room (334)

 

March 6, 2024, from 3:30—5:00

March 27, 2024, from 3:30—5:00

April 10, 2024, from 3:30—5:00

April 24, 2024, from 3:30—5:00

May 8, 2024, from 3:30—5:00